


Step By Step

by ludeans



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dirty Dancing Fusion, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dirty Dancing, M/M, New Orleans
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-15 08:20:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28810269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ludeans/pseuds/ludeans
Summary: ❝...and step by step, Dean Winchester began to fall in love with the angel who had been sent to earth to help him find his true love.❞
Relationships: Castiel & Dean Winchester, Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 4
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys!  
> Jfyi: English isn't my native language, so please don't be too hard on me. Anyways... I hope you'll enjoy the story! I'll try to upload a chapter once a week but I can't promise anything since it takes a lot of time to translate everything c:  
> (The first chapter is the prologue. That's why it's so short.)

While the day was slowly but surely coming to an end and the sun had already disappeared from the sky, New Orleans was coming to life.

It was a balmy summer night and Bourbon Street was bustling with activity as usual: countless people were wandering on the street of the notorious Vieux Carré, the gentle sounds of a saxophone could be heard again and again in the background, and the many lights of the individual buildings merged into large and small splashes of color.

In front of a bar, the dense crowd of people, mostly tourists, was broken by several dancers moving rhythmically to the music in the moonlight. 

Dean Winchester seemed to literally float across the floor; every dance step was almost perfectly in place. He closed his eyes and blanked out the people watching him in awe and appreciation at the same time, letting himself be guided only by the soft tones echoing through the street. It was almost as if the music replaced the blood in his veins and gave him the strength he needed to live. 

When the last sounds of Glenn Miller's _In The Mood_ finally rang out, the brown-haired man paused in his movement and opened his eyes.

The people, who by now had formed a circle around him and the other dancers, fell into a thunderous applause. 

Dean bowed with a smile on his lips before taking off his hat to place it on the floor. 

While he thanked his audience for their donations and compliments and even gave out a few hugs now and then, his gaze suddenly lingered on a young man who was watching the action from a distance. He was leaning casually against a streetlight, watching Dean's every move.

When their eyes met, Dean gasped barely noticeably. 

The young man's blue eyes seemed to burn deep into his soul. Blue eyes that fascinated Dean so much he held his breath for a moment. Blue eyes he would never forget again. 

_Eyes like the sky._

The notes of Ella Fitzgerald's _Dream A Little Dream Of Me_ were intoned in the background.   
Dean swallowed. 

But before he could ask the stranger with the incredibly blue eyes for a dance, he suddenly had disappeared. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the kudos and the comments you left below the prologue! I really appreciate it <3

When I switched off the lights in the dancing school that evening and stumbled to the door to lock up to start my well-deserved time off, I was suddenly overcome by the oppressive feeling of having experienced this day already countless times before.

I suppressed an annoyed sigh and ruffled my hair before burying my hands in my pockets along with the keys to the dancing school while making my way home. 

My life seemed to slowly but surely melt into a single mush. Every day was the same: I left the house promptly at eight in the morning, walked to the dancing school, gave my daily classes, did paperwork and locked up again at 6 p.m. before spending my evening either in a cozy bar in the Vieux Carré, musing about my life with a good dose of bourbon, or heading out on a date that was doomed to fail before it even began. 

Or both. 

The sun was just disappearing behind the horizon when I unlocked the front door of my home. 

Listlessly, I dropped my leather jacket onto the small bench that Sam and I had painted with our parents when we were kids. After pausing for a brief moment, remembering the beautiful moments of the past, I began to unlace the old boots that were still on my feet. 

"Dean...why can't you just hang your jacket on the coat rack? Just like every other person," I heard my little brother's reproachful voice call out from the living room. 

I rolled my eyes. "Are you spying on me?"

Muffled footsteps reached my ear before my little brother poked his head through the open living room door. "No. I know you," he looked at me with a grin on his lips. 

Though I tried to suppress it, a smile settled on my lips. 

"Are you eating with us today? Ruby is making lasagna," the brown-haired one wanted to know before turning on his heel to return to the living room. 

I followed him and flopped down on the couch like a wet sack. "No. I have a date today," I answered his question and began massaging my temples. 

Sam raised an eyebrow. _"Again?"_

Shrugging my shoulders, I reached for one of the glasses sitting on the table to pour myself a big gulp of water. "I'm not giving up that easily."

My little brother sighed, barely audible. "This has nothing to do with giving up, Dean. If you're actively looking for love, you'll probably never find it."

I crossed my arms in front of my chest. "Easy for you to say."

Before Sam could say anything back, Ruby joined us and started spreading out the plates and silverware for dinner on the big wooden table that was located in the middle of the room. "Hi Dean! Are you going to eat with us? I made lasagna with extra bolognese." 

"Dean doesn't have time because he has another date," Sam took the words out of my mouth.

Ruby shot her husband a meaningful look before giving me a smile and placing a hand on my shoulder. "Too bad. But I wish you good luck and most of all, have fun on your date! And just in case you do get hungry later, I'll definitely save you some and put it in the fridge."

She then gave Sam, who was about to comment on her words, a kiss on the lips; silencing him. 

Shortly after, Ruby went back to the kitchen. 

"I'm going to get ready for my date now," I said and stood up. Before I turned to leave, though, I looked at Sam with a mischievous grin on my lips. "You know... actually, Ruby is way too good for you. You don't deserve her at all." 

"You're a jerk," the brown-haired one gave out. He tried to remain serious, but from the amused tone in his voice I could tell that he still found our games as funny as I did. 

"And you're a bitch." After sticking out my tongue at my little brother, I took heavy steps up the stairs to take an extensive shower. 

As the warm water splashed pleasantly on my tense back, my thoughts kept flitting to Lisa, whom I would meet for dinner at Sylvain in less than an hour. We had met by chance when I had accidentally bumped into her on the street after a long day at work, knocking the coffee out of her hands. She had left such a lasting impression with her quiet yet friendly manner that after I bought her a new coffee, I just had to ask her out. 

After the hot shower, I dug through my messy closet looking for a flannel shirt that didn't look too rumpled. 

If Sam caught sight of this mess, the matter of the wooden bench I was using as a coat rack would probably be the least of his problems. 

With the hint of a smile, I shook my head and let the closet door slam shut with a thud when I finally found what I was looking for. 

Satisfied, I first pulled a black t-shirt over my head before slipping into the black and red plaid flannel shirt that was literally crying out for an iron despite the few wrinkles. After I also had put on a pair of dark jeans, my hair was almost completely dry. 

A glance at the clock told me that I should be leaving the house in the next few minutes to hit the Sylvain on time. 

For this reason, I decided to forgo using hairspray for once today and leave my hair in the tousled state it always was in after I took a shower. 

While I slipped into my shoes and put on my leather jacket, Sam wished me a good time with the hint of a mocking expression on his face before I finally let the door fall into the lock behind me for the second time that day. 

As I reached the end of the street where we lived, I looked back once more and surveyed the house I called home for many years now. 

After our parents had been killed in a tragic car accident, my little brother and I had had to face life's myriad hurdles alone. It had taken us a few years and a lot of effort to sell our parents' house and to move away; letting Kansas be a thing of the past once and for all. But that's how we ended up in New Orleans with Ruby, whom Sam had met and fallen in love with through law school. New Orleans. The city that not only stood for music, rhythm and art, but also for dreams. The city that was supposed to give us all a chance at a fresh start. Ruby, too, had been through a lot in her life, which is why she hadn't hesitated for a second when Sam told her the news. But she probably would have gone to the ends of the earth anyway to stay by my little brother's side.

What the two of them had was everything I wanted. 

An involuntary smile crept onto my lips before I turned my back on home and finally made my way to the Sylvain. 

Dark clouds were gathering in the sky, which made me begin to wonder if the change of weather possibly was a bad omen for my upcoming date. But before I could get caught up in my chaotic thoughts again, I pushed them all aside and let my gaze wander over my surroundings to distract myself.

The streets were flooded with countless people, all pursuing different goals. Some, like me, were heading in the direction of the French Quarter, but a lot were also heading out of town. Some of them carried bags from renowned clothing stores under their arms, while others sipped coffee or hot cocoa. 

I loved to observe people. 

If you looked closely, you could see most of a person's character traits just by a quick glance. If their eyes were shining while they were talking, they were usually open and passionate, enjoying sharing their lives with others. If, instead, they preferred to sip their hot drink and soak up every word of a story, they were an attentive listener, paying attention to small details and memorizing quite a bit. 

The idea of how many different character traits there had to be in the whole wide world fascinated me every single time I thought about it. 

That was probably one of the many reasons I had chosen the profession of being a dancing teacher, because the different characters of people were clearly noticeable in their dance style as well. Even if a group was taught the same choreography, each person almost automatically added their own creation, so that the result was ultimately something individual. 

And it was seeing this result and helping others to have this experience that filled me with satisfaction and joy. 

In addition, dancing had always been an escape from reality for me; a kind of therapy. When I moved to the music, I blanked out the rest of the world. It was almost as if the rhythmic sounds took possession of me and made me feel nothing else. Almost as if there was only the music and me. 

I was so lost in thought that I almost ran past Sylvain, and because of that I stopped moving so jerkily that someone rumbled inexorably against me from behind. 

"Sorry," I wanted to say, but the words stuck in my throat as I turned and looked straight into Lisa's brown eyes. 

"Bumping into each other seems to be kind of our thing," the brunette stated with a smirk. 

"True," I said, pulling her into my arms for a brief moment. "It's good to see you," I added before we broke away from each other again. 

"I can only return that," the brown-haired one replied.

When we entered the restaurant afterwards, we were immediately welcomed by one of the waiters. He lead us to the table I had reserved for us shortly after I asked Lisa if she would like to have dinner with me some time. The table was in an adjoining room and thus lay somewhat apart from the others, which only strengthened the cozy ambience. 

I let my eyes wander around the room. 

The dark brown floor occasionally made a soft creaking sound when one of the waiters hurried across it. Magnificent chandeliers dangled from the ceiling, while paintings lined up on the dark red walls that looked a bit old-fashioned at first glance with their gilded frames. After looking at them for a while, however, they somehow seemed to fit in with the rest of the interior and with the mood of the restaurant as well. 

My gaze wandered to Lisa, who had also been looking around. "I hope the menu is as good as the restaurant looks," she murmured with a grin on her lips, immediately reaching for the leather booklet in front of her. 

"It does. I took a peek at it before I made the reservation to make sure the selection of dishes was broad, so there would definitely be something for everyone," I confessed, giving her a smile. 

Lisa nodded appreciatively. "That was very thoughtful of you."

A silence then fell over us, as we were both engrossed in what the restaurant had to offer. 

However, it was ended a few seconds later because one of the waiters showed up to take our order. Since we weren’t finished looking for food, both of us ordered something to drink only. Lisa ordered an orange juice, which made me doubt whether I should order a beer or not for a moment. Maybe she didn't like alcohol? Was this a test? But the moment ultimately passed as quickly as it had appeared and I went with my need and ordered a beer.

Fortunately, Lisa didn't seem to care that I had ordered an alcoholic beverage, as her eyes were already darting over the menu again. 

_"You're thinking too much, Dean,"_ I admonished myself in my mind. 

I swallowed hardly; knowing that I was a little too desperate for this date to be a successful one this time. Too desperate in wishing that it would work out. Too desperate in general. But I just needed a win. 

Sighing softly, I skipped a few pages in the menu and flipped forward until I finally arrived at the burger menu, which I had also studied in advance. 

While I was skimming the section that offered tons of different burgers, my mouth was already starting to water. 

Lisa noticed my intense gaze. "Do you already know what you’re going to eat?"

"I'm leaning toward the bacon cheeseburger with the sweet potato fries and a coleslaw salad," I answered her question, then flipped the menu closed with satisfaction. "And you?"

"Probably a salad with turkey strips."

I frowned barely noticeably. "That sounds... delicious," I brought out as convincingly as I could, even though turkey wasn't exactly my cup of tea. 

A little embarrassed, I scratched the back of my head. 

The brunette also closed her menue with a grin on her lips and leaned back in her chair before opening her mouth to say something. But before she could put her plan into action, however, we were interrupted once again by a waiter who set our drinks down on the table and took our order for food. 

"Cheers," I said, raising the wheat glass to toast the brunette, who eyed me briefly with a surprised expression before raising her glass as well. "Cheers."

A soft clink floated through the room. 

While we waited for our food, we started asking each other questions. Sometimes they were ones that would be in any small talk, but sometimes they were more complex ones that went into depth. So eventually we ended up talking not only about their failed marriage, which ended shortly after the birth of her son Ben, but also about my parents' car accident. 

Fortunately, by the time dinner was brought to our table about 20 minutes later, we had returned to a more pleasant topic; my dancing school. Among other things, Lisa wanted to hear from me about how long I had been dancing and how I had come up with the idea of turning my hobby into my profession and opening my own dancing school. 

Between fries and bites of my bacon cheeseburger, I gave her a brief version of the thoughts that had been running through my head on the way here. 

Although it was a good conversation, I noticed with each passing minute that something was missing. I wouldn’t have been able to explain what it was exactly, but deep down I felt it clearly. 

I strained to push my thoughts aside and concentrate on Lisa, who was telling me about her son's first day at school, which had been anything but smooth due to his father's behavior. 

Attentively, I began to observe her facial expressions and gestures: the brown eyes that not only shone with enthusiasm and excitement, but carried an expressive glow while she was telling something. The hands with which she gestured, making her stories seem even more vivid. And the facial expression that adapted to the situation in a matter of seconds. 

She was without a doubt one of those who enjoyed sharing her life with others. 

We sat together for some time before the brunette struck the sails with a heavy heart at 10 p.m. because she didn't want to keep Ben's babysitter waiting any longer. 

When the bill came, the brown-haired one pulled out her purse to pay for her drinks and her food, but I waved it off with a wink and pressed the appropriate amount of money along with a tip into the waiter’s hands. Lisa thanked me with a smile that was so honest and happy that her eyes began to shine once again. 

As we made our way out, I was suddenly overcome not only by the countless thoughts that I had successfully repressed before, but also by a guilty conscience. Because deep down I knew that nothing serious was going to happen between me and Lisa and that I probably wouldn't see her again after tonight. 

Although it was already late at night, the warm summer air hit us outside the door of the Sylvain. 

"Thank you for this beautiful evening, Dean," Lisa took the floor after a short silence and gently touched my arm with her hand. 

"I have to thank you", I tried to bring out as charming as possible.

Before the brown-haired girl could react to my words, I wrapped my arms around her briefly and left a small kiss on her cheek. "Get home safely, Lisa."

Her expression suggested that she was a bit taken off guard by my abrupt goodbye. She probably had hoped that it would have turned out a little differently. But the brunette tried to react as calmly as possible and nodded with a nevertheless more or less pained smile on her lips. "You too."

Then she turned on her heel and disappeared into the darkness without another word. 

I sighed and ruffled my hair before heading home as well. 

Halfway home, I decided to take a little detour through the French Quarter. Seeing the hustle and bustle, the countless lights and the great artists had a similar effect on me as music: I just felt comfortable. Secure. Almost as if I were safe; as if nothing could happen to me there.

Nonetheless, I couldn't turn off my thoughts even though I was walking through Bourbon Street. 

In all likelihood, I would never have admitted it out loud, but my little brother was right; if I was that desperate to find my true love, I would probably never find it. 

I huffed and kicked a Coke can that was laying on the ground with such a power that it flew several feet away and subsequently rolled quite a bit further. 

By the time I came to a stop in front of the Rousseaus, I had already managed to calm down my thoughts and additionally push them to the back of my mind. 

With tired eyes, I watched the dancers who had gathered in front, as usual, to lose themselves in jazz together. One of them seemed to have recognized me and waved at me; wanting me to join them, but I declined with an excusing smile.

Instead, I started watching the people who scurried across the street stressed or stopped in front of the dancing group with a fascinated expression on their faces. 

And then my eyes fell on the streetlight that the young man with the sky-blue eyes had been leaning that night. The image had burned so deeply into my soul that for a moment it actually felt like he was still leaning there, watching my every move closely. 

_Eyes like the sky._

I swallowed, shook my head, and finally decided to make my way home. 

Sam and Ruby were still sitting in the living room when I unlocked the door, put my jacket back on the wooden bench and finally kicked the shoes off my feet. Then I joined my two roommates in the living room and sat down on the couch with a barely audible sigh. 

My little brother was about to open his mouth to ask how my date had gone, but I just waved it off. "Don't."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Was it really _that_ bad?"

Ruby boxed against his shoulder and rolled her eyes in the same breath. "Leave him alone, Sam," she tried to whisper so softly into the brown-haired man's ear that I wouldn’t hear it. 

But I did and it even made me smile a bit despite the misery I called my life. 

We sat quietly next to each other for a while before I said a curt goodbye to them both. "I'm going to bed now. Good night," I said and got up to go upstairs.

"Dean? Don't forget we're invited to Bobby's tomorrow. 8pm," Sam called after me, to which I merely answered a sarcastic, "Alright, Mother." 

Sam mumbled something indistinctly in my direction, which earned him another side blow from his wife. 

Shaking my head, I continued my way and climbed the stairs to the upper floor. 

Since I had already showered extensively before the date with Lisa, I left it at a relatively short shower to calm down a bit, before I finally slipped into my boxers and the gray shirt that had served me as a kind of pajama top for ages now.

After brushing my teeth and thus successfully removing the last traces of the bacon cheeseburger, I let myself fall into bed; exhausted. 

A glance at the alarm I had set up told me that I had to get up again in six and a half hours in order to be able to go to work on time. I groaned in annoyance, squeezed my eyes shut and tried convulsively to find sleep; but to no avail. 

I lay awake for a very long time that night, which was not least the fault of the blue eyes that still seemed to haunt me. 

_Eyes like the sky._


End file.
